1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mobile communications and more particularly a system and method for enabling data services through a mobile terminal.
2. Status of the Prior Art
With the implementation of data services on wireless networks, there has become a need for manufacturers of mobile devices to include data capability in future mobile terminals. Accordingly, mobile terminals with varying capabilities and form factors are becoming increasingly more available such as Data-Only PCMCIA cards for insertion into host devices and PDA's with integrated data modems. Accordingly, initial activation and on-going configuration of these mobile devices will become a concern for mobile communication carriers.
The Over-The-Air Service Provisioning Standard (OTASP), IS-683, is used by carriers to provision voice mobile terminals. The IS-683 standard relies on a Voice Service Option to initiate user based OTASP sessions and cannot be used by non-voice mobiles. Specifically, the IS-683 standard requires a customer service representative (CSR) to speak with the mobile user in order to initiate the OTASP session. Such a requirement limits the field of use and cost savings which can be achieved by the carrier. For example, the current implementation of IS-683 is not able to support data only mobile terminals. As previously discussed, in order to initiate a session, the customer must first speak with a CSR in order to activate OTASP sessions. This is not convenient because with the advent and evolution of CDMA networks that support packet data capability has resulted in a plethora of mobile terminals of varying form factors and capabilities (i.e., PCMCIA modem cards, PDA's with integrated modems, etc . . . ). Accordingly, the increasing number of mobile terminals will pose a significant challenge to carriers in controlling activation costs and on-going mobile terminal configuration costs.
The proposed IOTA standard is able to implement mobile terminal communications without the need to speak with a CSR. However, carriers who have already implemented an IS-683 system will need to replace their existing infrastructure in order to implement data only mobile terminals.
The present invention addresses the above-mentioned deficiencies in data provisioning of the IS-683 system by providing a method and system whereby the OTASP session can be initiated by a data call. As such, the mobile user can initiate a data session on an existing IS-683 based infrastructure without the need to contact a CSR thereby preserving the investment in existing IS-683 systems and still accommodating mobile terminals of differing capabilities.